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Two Birthrights

The traveler’s dusty feet plodded heavily down a rocky path, aching with every step. His stomach groaned as he imagined the delicious meal he was sure would follow his father’s welcome. He gazed into the distance, his eyes wandering past the rippling fields of grain, past the little white clusters of sheep scattered over the green hills, and past the many herds of cattle, his longing eyes finally resting on the tents of his father.

     Footsore and weary, he plodded for hours, until he finally rounded a bend in the trail near his home. He stopped as he noticed his brother standing over a nearby fire, preparing soup.

     “Let me have some of that soup! I am so hungry!” He cried. He waited impatiently as his brother, deep in thought, continued to stir the pot of soup.
     “Give me your birthright. Then I will let you have the soup.” Jacob finally said.
     Momentarily, Esau thought of his father, only a little ways off, ready and eager to prepare him a hot meal. But the delicious scent of hot lentils wafted towards him and teased his aching stomach, and he gave in.
     “Look, Jacob, I am about to die! What use is the birthright to me?”
     “Swear to me now.” Jacob demanded, as he poured some of the steaming liquid into a bowl. Esau swore to him, and sold him his birthright. With a smug smile of satisfaction, Jacob placed the steaming bowl of soup in Esau’s outstretched hands.

     Esau dipped his spoon into the bowl of lentils, and savored each mouth-watering bite. Oh how good those lentils must have tasted after such a long and tiring hunting trip!

     But what of the birthright? Esau had just traded a lifetime of blessings, for one pot of soup. He squandered away his birthright, and all the blessings it contained, for a mere moment of pleasure. What a foolish thing to do!

     We also have a birthright; God offers each of us an eternity in heaven! But how often, we, like Esau, squander away our birthright by doing something that may cause us pleasure for one moment, while in reality, it takes away our assurance of eternity with our heavenly Father!

     Next time find yourself on the verge of selling your birthright, ask yourself, is eternity worth sacrificing? Then cling in faith to God's promises and ask Him for strength to remain strong.

     “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of the son of man, the place God has prepared for them that love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

     Eternity is not worth sacrificing. For anything!

     -Hannah

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